Category: planning

Productivity for Solopreneurs: Insights to getting things done #113 / Choosing between an impromptu visit and your to-do list

Choosing between an impromptu visit and your to-do list

by EvieBurke, posted in appointments, planning, Responsibility, schedule, Task List, video

I was searching through my blog archives last week and came across something I wrote seven years ago that really stuck with me.

It’s about what to do with impromptu visits.

Those “hey, I’m in town today, want to grab some lunch” type of unexpected invitations.

For me, they usually come from family members.

And I’m a planner. I like to have appointments on my schedule at least a week in advance and my tasks for the week outlined before Monday morning.

When I get an impromptu visit or lunch request, it can feel like someone took a large cartoonish wrench and threw it into my well planned and thought out week.

Do I want to spend time with them? YES!

AND I want to get the things I had planned for the week done too.

The problem is if I always say no last-minute requests of my time, I might not have an opportunity to see that person again for a few months.

I don’t know about you, but one of the reasons having my own business was appealing was that I could occasionally enjoy these impromptu visits.

So, if I say no to these visits, am I honoring my schedule and plans or am I being too tied to them?

Here’s what we forget about our to-do lists, schedules, and plans sometimes: they are there to help you and work for you. You do not work for them.

It sounds a little weird to say it like that, but sometimes in our quest to get as much done as we can each day, we forget that there are other things to do.

Life doesn’t always fit in nice little compartments and since you’re reading this, I’m guessing you really don’t want it too. You want a life with flexibility.

This doesn’t mean it’s always easy to put aside my plans for the week and have brunch with family instead. I have things! that must be done! And if I start my day late, those things! Might not get done! (does anyone else’s brain work like this? Or is it just me?)

This is when it’s helpful for me to take a breath and realize that if there are no appointments scheduled, then the things! can be done later.

When I have impromptu visits and my mind is ping-ponging between GO have fun and STAY to complete the things! I ask myself these questions:

  • Are there any appointments or meetings that this will overlap or interfere with?
  • Are there any deadlines approaching that will be negatively impacted?
  • Have I already spent time this week with unplanned visits?
  • How will this impact progress on my goals?

The gist of these questions is: will my business or goals be negatively affected by spending time elsewhere?

If so, is spending this time with this person more important than my business and/or goals?

Notice that I wrote “is spending this time with” and not “is spending time with.” That one little word changes the meaning of the sentence a bit.

Again, your schedule and to-do list are meant to help guide you and make your day flow smoothly.

They are not a ball and chain that keep you tied to your office or computer.

If you’re treating them like that, step back, get curious and ask yourself why.

Leave a comment letting me know when was the last time you said yes to an impromptu visit.

And if your schedule and to-do list feel like a ball and chain or if it feels impossible to say yes to an impromptu visit, then reach out and let’s talk. The easiest way to do that is to leave a comment or fill out the Contact Me form here.

PRODUCTIVITY FOR SOLOPRENEURS: INSIGHTS TO GETTING THINGS DONE #113

My head keeps telling me to do more things

by EvieBurke, posted in planning, Quiet Time

What are your gut feelings about what you should be focusing on or doing this week, month or quarter?

Have you taken any time for yourself (real time for yourself) to notice?

I’ve noticed a desire to slow down right now.

Why?

Saturday was the funeral for my father-in-law and it was a beautiful time of remembrance of his life.

People keep asking how I am and I respond with “good” and “fine”.

I respond this way not because I want them to feel better, but because I really am good and fine.

I’ve noticed part of me thinking that because I am “good” and “fine” I should jump right into “normal” life.

My head keeps telling me to do more things, update my plan for the first quarter with ideas I’ve had in the last 10 days, and put solid dates and plans into the calendar for 2019.

And yet, I’ve felt the desire to slow down.

The desire to slow down comes from a deeper place.

From this deeper place, I’m being asked to put a hold on the PLANS I want to create now because they’ll change in a week or two.

From this deeper place, I’m being asked to recognize that even though I really do feel good and fine, I need some time before I jump back in 100%.

From this deeper place, I trust that taking this time now will serve me better than PUSHING through and DOING-ALL-THE-THINGS.

There won’t be a Wednesday LIVE with Evie this week and it may not return until February.

However, I’ll still be showing up here each week with a note like this one.

And while today’s note isn’t an overt productivity tip, it is a productivity reminder to listen to your intuition and notice what you need.

YOU are the driving force of your business and taking the time to notice and honor what you need is important.

What guidance does your intuition (or gut or whatever your name for it is) have to share with you about the upcoming weeks?

If you would like to share I’d love to see your responses in the comments below!

Were you scrambling too?

by EvieBurke, posted in habits, planning

Last week I did a Q&A in my Facebook group. You can find that here. You’ll only be able to see it if you’re IN the group. So, it’s the perfect time to join us!
One of the questions that was asked was this:

How do you keep up with bookkeeping when EVERY tax season you promise you’ll do better next year and next year comes and you’res till scrambling to update the bookkeeping?

And I’ll admit it, this was a problem for me this year too!

In the Q&A I shared a strategy I learned from the book Profit First by Mike Michalowixz that I’m implementing this month. And last week I challenged the Productivity for Women Entrepreneurs group to implement it.

The book suggests you only do your bookkeeping twice a month (and not whenever you have time).

Staying on top of your bookkeeping is one of those things that you can do now, or you can take a really long time to do later. Believe me, experience has taught me that staying on top if it is worth my time. AND saves me time (and sanity) later.

So, join me for Wednesday LIVE with Evie at 1pm CDT tomorrow for things that will save you time later.

I’ll share a bit more about why Profit First suggests doing your bookkeeping only twice a month and other tasks that will save you time (and sanity) later.

What are things you do that save you time later?
Or what is taking you forever that you wish you could save time on?
Comment below and tell me.

The role of failure in business

by EvieBurke, posted in failure, Overwhelm, planning

I was reading through posts in various Facebook groups I belong to and start reading a longer post.

In the middle of it I see this statement, “People don’t fail, systems fail.”

I found myself smiling and saying aloud with love, “OH honey, I fail All The Time. It’s a good thing.”

I own my failures.

The times that I’ve failed have been incredible teachers to me.

Have my failures sometimes been a system failure (or lack of system)? Yes.

And I’ll still own them as MY failures.

Because they are.

The biggest problem I see (and have experienced) with failure is when we use it to beat ourselves up.

Let’s maybe stop doing that (yes, much easier said than done).

So, this week for Wednesday LIVE with Evie let’s talk about the gift and necessity of failure.

You can find that replay here.

What are your thoughts about failure? Do you think it’s necessary?
Comment below and let me know!

Why did I pick that to-do?

by EvieBurke, posted in accountability, planning

Friday afternoon I was looking at my remaining list of to-do’s. I had two items that were going to require an hour-ish of time and that was all the time I had for the day.

I picked the one that I told my Facebook group was my most important task for the week.

Why? because I told them I’d complete it.

Have you ever noticed the same thing?

When you tell someone that you’ll complete something, and you know they’ll notice if you don’t, then you feel compelled to complete it.

Some of the members say that sharing their most important to-do for the week in the group has helped them get more done than anything else they’ve tried – and it creates momentum to get other things accomplished too!

Accountability is this week’s topic for Wednesday LIVE with Evie. Specifically, successful accountability buddies – whether it’s in a Facebook group or with someone you connect with daily or weekly.

Do you have an accountability buddy? Why or why not?
What’s worked really well for you or what didn’t work at all?
Let me know in the comments below.